Washing-machine.



E. E. mess. WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IULY 5| l 9l4.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

- INVENTOR Imsncucn. c-

E. E. RIGGS. WASHING MACHINE.

APPLiCATION FILED JULY 6.1914.

Patented 00 12, 191.5. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG-2 LlllllillllHlllo INVEINTORY WITNESSES I EDWIN FANNIE A: B. RIGGS, or EAST M nEEsPoR'r, PENNSYLVANIA.

To all [Ix/1 m it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E; RIGGS, a.

. UNITED STATES PATENT, ,o oE.

Rises, OFMeKEESPORT, rnuns ?Lvnnm, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO I WASHING-MACHINIE1 resident of McKeespoi-t, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lVashing-luiachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing machines.

simple and inexpensive machine which is very efficient, which is easy to manipulate,

'- and which operates'by suction or vacuum in such manner as to force through the fabric I or clothesin opposite directions currents of the washing liquid, and which therefore" thoroughly washes the'clothes without liability of injury to the same.

The invention comprises the constructionand arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawings', Figure -1 represents a side'elevatioii of a washing machine em-' 1 bodyiiig' the invention; Fig. 2-is asec'tional elevation thereof on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the machine on a smaller scale; Fig. at is a plan view of the lower agitator; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional prises a tank or receptaclel which may be of'any suitable character and is shown as a. wooden tub of common fo'rmsupported upon suitable legs 2' connected bycross View on the line 5-75, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view of an anti-friction member; The machine shown in the drawings combraces 3 which form a frame or supportfor the operatingmechanism. Within thetub, is located an agitator, presse'r board.or false bottom 4:, which maybe made of any suitable material, .such as" sheetmetalfwoven wire, wood, or expanded metahjjand which.

is shown as a supports for therim't which is formed by rolling the sheet metal around a heavy wire tostrengthen the agitator. The agitator is provided with a. number, of spaced holes or apertures 6 through w'hich'the cleaning fluid passes. The tank'orreceptacle 1 may be of any suitable shape, but is shown a's substantially cylindrical, and the diameter of sheet metal member provided with a series of radially extendingbeads or Specification of Letters Patent: Patented ()t, 12, r915,

Application filed l'uly 6, 1911. Serial No. 819,195. e

' agitator 1 is preferably slightly less-than the internal-diameter of the tub 1 so-that the ag tator moves easily therein. Above the agitator 1 is an upper agitator or i-ub board provided with a series of batfles or rubbing I members-8 which are shown as extending The ob]ect'of the invention is to provide a A substantially radially and which areprefer ably formed integral with the material of the rub board itself. 1

Attached to the outside of'the bottom;9 of the tank 1 is a circular plate 10 having a central opening llinto which is threaded a pipe or .tube 12-whichextends upwardly into the tub and whose upper end terminatesjust below the rim of'the tub wall; -The metal 18. j The agitator' l istherefore securelycon- 4 nected to the rod 1.5.and may be. raised-and lowered in the tub-by lifting or lowering lower face'of the agitator 4 is prefer The-upper agitatorg'li has a-central' aperiture 20 of a diameter; slightly largein: than that of the .cap'lTand nut'18-so-thatfit can be readily slipped over the same-to a posi tion' surrounding the, I tube 14.1 It is prov'ided with a-pluralit-y, four beingshown, 0t r jantiefriction members 21-, shown as rollers journale'd on suitable studs 22 ."securcd"f'a't intervals to the upper surface oi'thefagitator the rod'15." Part ofjthe weight of thelower agitator 4 and the clothessupported thereon is carried by a' suitablespring 19. surround- ,ing the; tube 12 and restingz n the floor of the tub and at its'upper end engaging the "fine and in such'position that they-cofitaquffwfith the wall of the tub and prevent sstitl'agitae: t or from tilting or=becomingfaskew therein as the washing operation- The and 37'1eoiprocates the rod up and down,

7 power.

the rod orbar 15. machine may be operated by hand, lever '27 being the operating lever.

near .to the periphery of the agitator, and

which at its upper end is provided with a 'JyokeQ-l extending out over the rim of the tub.

The driving mechanism may be of any suitable type, either operated by hand or by As shown, the tub is provided with a suitable bracket in which is journaled a'shaft 26 to one end of which is secured a lever 27, whose upper end passes between the arms of the yoke 2i, and the other end of which shaftis provided with an arm 28 extending downwardly and connected by a linkQS to a wrist pin 29 on' a gear 30 loosely journaled on a shaft 31 carried by suitable bearings secured to the undcrframe.

Said gear meshes with a gear 33 secured to rotate with a shaft 3i journaled in bearings 35 carried by the frame, and which shaft is provided with a fly wheel l0 and a crank 36 to which is connected one end of a link or connecting rod .37 whose other end is connected to the lower end of the rod 15. Preferably, the floor plate 10 is provided with downwardly extending bosses or projections 38 in which are mounted antifriction members 39 shown as' rollers, which bearagainst the rod 15 and reduce the friction.

If the machine is to be operated by power a suitable driving means, such as an electric motor 41 or the like, is connected to the. shaft 34, and in such case shaft 34:, through the gears 33 and 30 oscillates the lever 27 and, through the connecting rod 37, reciprocates As shown, however, the

The upper rub board 7 is lifted oil and the clothes ar,e placed upon the lower agitator a. Sufficient cleaning liquid is poured into the tub to COVE! the clothes therein and the rub board 7 is placed in position as shown in the drawings. Lever 27 may then be oscillated backand forth by hand and by means of the yoke 24: oscillates the rub board 7 back and forth in the tub around the tube 12. Arm 28 rotates the gear 30, which in turn rotates shaft and by means of the connecting Which-conseqi'lently rais and lowers the agitator 4. This motion produces a suction or vacuum in the cleaning fluid-and forces the latter back and forth through the apertures in the upper and lower boards and through the clothes lying on the agitator and therefore cleanses the same thoroughly. The upper agitator or rub board 7 hes on top of the clothes and is oscillated back and forth around the vertical axis so that its baffles 8 continuously rub the clothes and stir them up. The combined action of the two boards produces a very thorough cleansing action without liability of injuring the clothes.

Preferably the gearing is so adjusted that the up and .'down motion of thelower agitator is more rapid than the oscillation of the rub board 7. .In practice the agitator 4:

moves up and down from one and one-half to four times for each oscillation of the rub board 7, although any suitable proportion of the motions may be employed.

The machine is simple and can be readily manufactured and assembled at low cost. It is easy to manipulate and permits ready insertion and removal of the clothes.

Vhat I claim is l. 'A washing machine, comprising a stationary tank, a perforated agitator therein. a'rub board lying above said agitator, and

means for positively raising and lowering said agitator and oscillating said rub board.

2. A washingmaclnne, comprising a stationary tank, a perforated agitator thereina perforated rub board lying above said agitator, an operating member. and connections between said member and agitator for raising and lowering said agitator, and between said member and rub board for oscillating the same.

3. A washing machine, comprising a staa rub board lying above said agitator, means for posltively rais ng and lowering said agrtatorand oscillating sald rub board, and a spring for limiting downward movement of .tionary tank, a perfo 'ated agitator therein, 

